23. Wa 'anaa 'ash-hadu
'an laa 'ilaaha 'illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu wa 'anna
Muhammadan 'abduhu wa Rasooluhu, radheetu billaahi Rabban, wa bi-Muhammadin
Rasoolan wa bil'islaami deenan.
I bear witness that
none has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner,
and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. I am pleased with
Allah as my Lord, with Muhammad as my Messenger and with Islam as my
religion.1 [To be recited in Arabic after the Mu'aththin’s
Tashahhud or the words of affirmation of Faith] 2
After replying to the
call of Mu'aththin. you should recite in Arabic Allah's blessings
on the Prophet.
O Allah , Lord of this perfect
call and established prayer. Grant Muhammad the intercession and favor,
and raise him to the honored station You have promised him, [verily You
do not neglect promises].
Reference:
Al-Bukhari 1/152, and the addition between brackets is from Al-Bayhaqi
1/410 with a good (Hasan) chain of narration. See 'Abdul-Azlz bin Baz's
Tuhfatul-'Akhyar, pg. 38.
Between the call to
prayer and the 'Iqamah, you should supplicate Allah for yourself.
Invocation during this time is not rejected.
“Prayer (Salat) is the most important practice in Islam. Allah has ordered the Muslims to be mindful of it. The Holy Qur'an says:"Guard strictly your prayers, especially the Middle Prayer, and stand before Allah with all devotion.”